January 14, 2005 Saturn/Cassini Spacecraft Webcast at http://www.exploratorium.edu/saturn
In addition to the webcasts, come to the Exploratorium, January 13-23
to ask questions in person, check out the newest images, and discover
how our understanding of Saturn has changed.

January 15 , 2005 Saturn/Cassini Spacecraft Webcast at http://www.exploratorium.edu/saturn
In addition to the webcasts, come to the Exploratorium, January 13-23
to ask questions in person, check out the newest images, and discover
how our understanding of Saturn has changed.

January 22 , 2005 Saturn/Cassini Spacecraft Webcast at http://www.exploratorium.edu/saturn
In addition to the webcasts, come to the Exploratorium, January 13-23
to ask questions in person, check out the newest images, and discover
how our understanding of Saturn has changed.

Jan 24 -- 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES in Kanbar Hall at the Jewish
Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets $4.
Dr. Lynn Cominsky, Sonoma State University "Exploding Stars, Blazing
Galaxies and Monstrous Black Holes: The Extreme Universe of Gamma-ray
Astronomy" Images and data from NASA's Compton Gamma-ray Observatory
will demonstrate the exotic phenomena seen in the Universe at gamma-ray
energies.Also, new results from the Swift gamma-ray burst explorer,
due for launch in fall of 2004 and information about the Gamma-ray Large
Area Space Telescope (GLAST) project. http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.html

Jan. 26, 7 pm: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series. Astronomer
Jeff Cuzzi of NASA's Ames Research Center -- talk on: "Exploring
the Lord of the Rings: Cassini at Saturn" in the Smithwick Theater,
Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills,
California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2.
Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information.

FEB 8 Tue 4:00 p.m. Sonoma State Univ. Dept of Physics and Astronomy - Stevenson Hall, Room 2006- WHAT PHYSICISTS DO - SOFIA: STRATOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY FOR INFRARED ASTRONOMY. Dr. Eric Becklin of the University of California, Los Angeles will describe the project to develop and operate a 2.5-meter infrared telescope in a Boeing 747-SP and examples of the science programs to be carried out when it goes into operation in 2006. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/

FEB 15 Tue 4:00 p.m. Sonoma State Univ. Dept of Physics and Astronomy - Stevenson Hall, Room 2006- WHAT PHYSICISTS DO - COSMIC TENNIS. Dr. Roger Blandford of Stanford University will describe how physicists observe Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays with energies as great as those of a well-struck tennis ball and how astrophysicists are trying to explain how they are accelerated. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/

March 2, 2005, 7 pm: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series—Author and astronomer Phil Plait of Sonoma State University will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on: "Bad Astronomy (In Everyday Life and the Movies)" in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for
more information.
Co-sponsored by: NASA Ames Research Center, The Foothill College Astronomy Program, The SETI Institute, The Astronomical Society of the Pacific

MAR 15 Tue 4:00 p.m. Sonoma State Univ. Dept of Physics and Astronomy - Stevenson Hall, Room 2006- WHAT PHYSICISTS DO - NEW EYES ON THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE: THE SNAP SATELLITE. Dr. Natalie Roe of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will describe a proposed new space telescope designed to chart the expansion of the universe, using both supernovae and gravitational weak lensing. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/

Mar 20 - a set of lectures at Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), Searching for Extra Terrestrial Life - connected with the exhibit "Alien Earths". Schedule of talks: [1]
12:30 pm - Dr. Margaret Race: "Looking for ET-- Bring 'em Back Alive... and Carefully" - perspectives from an expert in the field of planetary protection, analyzing issues of cross-contamination both in space and on Earth. [2] 1:30 pm Dr. William Borucki, NASA Ames Research Center - "The Search for Habitable Planets Around Other Stars" - future space-based missions necessary to find habitable Earth-sized planets, including the upcoming Kepler mission based at NASA Ames Research Center. [3] 2:30 pm Dr. Emma Bakes - "How does life evolve? An exploration of Titan and Europa as possible alien habitats"
Admission is FREE to AANC club members, ASP members, and SETI Institute members. SETI Institute and the NASA Kepler mission are a co-sponsors of the Alien Earths exhibit which is at LHS through May 8, 2005. LHS is the public science center of UC Berkeley on Centennial Drive below Grizzly Peak in the Berkeley Hills. (510) 642-5132. http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org.

MAR 22 Tue 4:00 p.m. Sonoma State Univ. Dept of Physics and Astronomy - Stevenson Hall, Room 2006- WHAT PHYSICISTS DO - EINSTEIN AND THE RIDDLE OF HIS CREATIVITY. Dr. Tilman Sauer of the Einstein Papers Project at Caltech will discuss some of Einstein's scientific achievements and offer some thoughts as to how a study of his papers and manuscripts can give us a better understanding of his exceptional creativity. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/

April 8, 2005 at 8:00 PM Kiwanis Chico Community Observatory,in upper Bidwell Park, Chico, California - Naishi Min, former director of the Shanghai Planetarium, China, will be giving a lecture and constellation tour about the ancient Chinese view of the night sky, including the lore and philosophy that created a much different set of constellations than the western world. His lecture will be given at the future site of the planned outdoor planetarium, adjacent to the observatory. Organizers recommend that attendees to bring their own lawn chairs, as outdoor seat is not available. Mr. Min‚s lecture is also free but a requested donation of $5.00 per person or $20.00 per family is suggested to help fund the construction of the planetarium. Contact Kris Koenig at (530) 343-5635. http://www.chicoobservatory.com

April 20, 2005, 7 pm Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series: Astronomer Frank Drake will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on: "Estimating the Chances of Life Out There" in the Smithwick Theater,
Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills,
California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2.
Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information.

April 27, 2005, at 7:00 PM at Manzanita Place, Chico. Lecture by alien-hunter Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, in Mountain View, CA. Dr. Shostak will also be the guest speaker at the Greater Chico Kiwanis Club‚s Special Guest Day earlier in the afternoon. There is a cost for this lecture of $10.00 adults, $5.00 for seniors and students and $20.00 per family. Portion of the proceeds will go to fund Kiwanis Chico Community Observatory (KCCO) in upper Bidwell Park. Contact Kris Koenig at (530) 343-5635. http://www.chicoobservatory.com

MAY 3 Tue 4:00 p.m. Sonoma State Univ. Dept of Physics and Astronomy - Stevenson Hall, Room 2006- WHAT PHYSICISTS DO - CATCHING GAMMA RAY BURSTS ON THE FLY. Dr. Lynn Cominsky of Sonoma State University will present the latest results from NASA’s Swift mission and describe the Education/Public Outreach program conducted at SSU.http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/

May 6, 2005 Deadline for Project ASTRO applications for the 2005-2006 school year. For amateur and professional astronomers who would like to work with teachers and students in 3rd – 9th grade classrooms -- paired in a one-on-one partnership with a nearby Bay Area teacher. Educators and astronomers receive “The Universe at Your Fingertips” curriculum resource book, and attend a 2-day summer workshop where participants learn to do hands-on, inquiry-based astronomy activities. Contact: Christina de Leon, Project ASTRO, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112. Tel. 415-337-1100 ext. 101. E-mail: cdeleon{at}astrosociety.org.

May 7 SJAA -- Dark-Sky weekend. Sset 8:03 pm, 0% moon rise 6:06 am.

May 10 Tue 4:00 p.m. Sonoma State Univ. Dept of Physics and Astronomy - Stevenson Hall, Room 2006- WHAT PHYSICISTS DO - DIGGING FOR THE FOSSILS OF GALAXY FORMATION. Dr. Katherine Rhode (’89) of Wesleyan and Yale Universities will describe the properties of the globular cluster systems of massive galaxies and explain what they tell us about the galaxies’ origins. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/

May 14 8:30pm Ancient Astronomy, the First Science - John Dillon, The Randall Museum-San Francisco - Mt Tam Astronomy Program - The pinnacle of ancient Greek science was the amazingly sophisticated astronomy developed more than 2000 years ago at the legendary Museum of Alexandria.

May 18, 2005, (Wed) 7 pm: Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series. Astronomer Nathalie Cabrol will give a talk on: The Mars Exploration Rover Mission: A Year of Exploration and Discovery in the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information.

May 21 SJAA -- General Meeting. Board meeting at 6:30; General Meeting
at 8:00

Jun 11 - 8:30pm Galaxies Like to Live Together - Dr. Roy R. Gal, U.C. Davis - Mt Tam Astronomy Program - How are galaxies distributed throughout the universe and what can surveys of galaxy clusters teach us about cosmology.

June 25 (Saturday) 8:00pm. Music of the Spheres Lick Observatory summer concert series. Todd Green - all original music in a blend of classical and improvised music from around the world. Talk: Raja Guthathakurta, "The Milky Way, Schroedinger's Cat, and You"

June 25, 2005 (Sat) at 8:00 pm - Chico - The Kiwanis Chico Community Observatory's summer speaker series: author and publisher Ken Graun will lecture on the life and times of Charles Messier. Ken Graun's latest book on the Messier catalogue, "The Next Step: Finding and Viewing Messier's Objects," took six years to complete with historical research spanning two continents. Ken's books will be available for purchase during his visit. Kiwanis Chico Community Observatory, located in upper Bidwell Park in Chico is open free to the public Thu through Sun night - dusk until 11:00 pm. For more info contact Kris Koenig at 530 343 5635.

Aug 13- 8:00PM Exploring the Meaning
of Life- Dr. Emma Bakes, NASA-Ames Research Center - Mt
Tam Astronomy Program - What evidence is there for the
universal formation of life throughout the cosmos.

Aug 13 SJAA -- ATM workshop at Houge Park. 7:30 pm

August 19 & 20, 2005 Project
ASTRO hands-on training workshop at the San Mateo County Office
of Education in Redwood City. For amateur and professional astronomers
who have applied. See Deadline for entry May 6.
Contact: Christina de Leon, Project ASTRO, Astronomical Society of the
Pacific, 390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112. Tel. 415-337-1100
ext. 101. E-mail: cdeleon{at}astrosociety.org

August 17th SFAA - Janice Voss, a veteran of five
space flights, logging over 49 days in space. Currently at NASA Ames,
she is the Science Director of the Kepler Spacecraft mission. She will
share her fantastic images of Earth from space and her personal
experiences with NASA as an astronaut. San Francisco Amateur Astronomers Speaker at the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, S.F. 7:30 pm

September 1st 2005 a t Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center,
Bldg. 202 Auditorium, 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, Ca. at 4 :15 pm
Thursday,
*THE FIRST THING IN THE UNIVERSE** Dr. Tom Abel, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford * Using supercomputers, scientists can follow the earliest events in the formation of structures in the universe. Their findings show that the first luminous objects to form were massive stars, producing numerous consequences for subsequent structure formation and for our under-standing of the earliest events in seeding the universe with the necessary constituents for life. Dr. Tom Abel will discuss in detail our current understanding of the nature of the first objects and how future telescopes and space missions may be able to test our predictions. Dr. Abel is an associate professor in the newly established Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at both the
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and Stanford University
Physics Department.

September 1- 4. Oregon Star Party (OSP) http://www.oregonstarparty.org OSP is located in Central Oregon, about an hour outside of Prineville OR, and we have vendors, speakers, mobile showers, food and espresso, plus most important of all, dark skies under high desert conditions. -Bill Jensen, OSP Committee

Sep 10 - 8:00pm Rendezvous with a Comet - Science Team Member TBA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Mt Tam Astronomy Program - July 2005 Deep Impact's spacecraft will arrive at Comet Tempel 1 and become the first mission to impact the surface of a comet.

September 21st - SFAA - Sun Kwok, University of Calgary, will speak on
planetary nebulae, or “Cosmic Butterflies”. He is an investigator of
sub-millimeter wave astronomy on the Odin Space Mission. He has also
written two books on planetary nebulae: “The Origins and Evolution of
Planetary Nebulae” and “Cosmic Butterflies”. San Francisco Amateur Astronomers Speaker at the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, S.F. 7:30 pm

19 September - 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES “Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe” There is now strong evidence that over the largest distances, our Universe is dominated by “dark energy” that makes space expand faster and faster with time. Einstein postulated “cosmic antigravity” of this type in 1917; ironically, he later retracted the idea as his “biggest blunder.” Dr. Alex Filippenko, University of California at Berkeley. In Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets are $4 at the door or by mail.
http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.cfm

September 27, Tuesday, 7:30 pm The Planetary Society and The Planetary Society Bay Area Volunteer Network present free public talk "Titan Through the Eyes of Huygens: A Quiet Little Place With a Nice Atmosphere" by Dr. Chris McKay, Planetary Scientist, Astrobiologist, Space Sciences Division of NASA/Ames Research Center. At The Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, San Francisco, CA 94114 http://randallmuseum.org/planvisit.cfm "Titan, the largest moon of the planet Saturn, is the only moon in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere. New results from the NASA/ESA mission to the Saturn System, Cassini/Huygens, have shown us the surface of Titan and will help us understand this world that is strange and yet in many ways similar to our own."

Sept. 28, 2005, Wednesday, 6:30 pm. EINSTEIN FOR EVERYONE:
How Astronomers are Proving Einstein's Most Bizarre Ideas about Space and Time. A nontechnical, illustrated lecture by Andrew Fraknoi (Chair of the Astronomy Program at Foothill College) at the Sunnyvale Public Library, 665 West Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale. Free and open to the public, but tickets must be obtained in advance from the Adult Information Desk at the library (tickets available starting Sept. 14 on a first come, first served basis; maximum of 4 tickets per person).
A look at some of the strange predictions of Einstein's Theory of Relativity and how advanced telescopes on Earth and in space are allowing astronomers to demonstrate just how right Einstein's insights into the nature of space and time really were. There will be a particular focus on black holes large and small and why they may be more common than even Einstein dared to think.

Sep 29 - Oct 1 SJAA -- Cal-Star regional star party, Lake San Antonio. SJAA's dark sky star party— a nice low key way to end the summer observing season; a reasonable sunset time, Catered dinners on Friday and Saturday, and some of the darkest skies in California. To register or for more information see the web page http://www.sjaa.net/calstar2005.html.

October 5, 2005 (Wednesday) 7 pm:
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series. Astronomer Cynthia Phillips will give a non-technical, illustrated talk on: Jupiter's Tantalizing Moon: Water (and Life?) Under the Ice of Europa. Dr. Phillips will explore Europa's geology, focusing on the prospects for water and the possibilities of life in that deep alien ocean. Dr. Phillips is a Principal Investigator for a number of projects investigating Europa and Mars at the SETI Institute. In the Smithwick Theater, Foothill College, El Monte Road and Freeway 280, in Los Altos Hills, California. Free and open to the public. Parking on campus costs $2. Call the series hot-line at 650-949-7888 for more information. Co-sponsored by: NASA Ames Research Center, The Foothill College Astronomy Program, The SETI Institute, The Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

October 7 Friday at 8 p.m. in UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall -- free lecture, "Other Worlds: From Imagination to Image, The Great Challenge of Building Supertelescopes in Search of Extraterrestrial Life." http://www.foundationalquestions.net/townes/symp_lecture.asp Three of the most innovative scientists in astronomy and astrophysics will discuss how new space and ground-based exploration technologies are expanding the vision of modern science and of our place in the universe. The lecture will include presentations from: Geoffrey Marcy (session chair--professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley), Reinhard Genzel, (scientific director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics), and Antoine Labeyrie (astronomer at the Observatory of Calern). The lecturers will describe how optical/infrared interferometers* and very large telescopes of the next generation are helping scientists to search for and image "Earth-like" planets several tens of light-years away, investigate the environment of black holes and cores of galaxies, and explore regions where new planets might be formed. This event the 90th birthday of UC Berkeley faculty member Charles Townes, who received the Nobel Prize in 1964 for his work on laser technology. http://www.otherworldslecture.org - info@otherworlds.org

October 8, Saturday, 7:30pm - Mt Tam Astronomy Program -Project Manager Rick Grammier from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena will share the latest findings from the NASADeep Impact Mission, which last July 4th crash-landed a spacecraft on Comet Tempel. In the Mountain Theatre. This is the final program of the year - co-sponsored by The Planetary Society. Free and open to the public. Weather permitting, the talk will be followed by telescope viewing in the Rock Spring Parking Lot with the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers. Dress warmly and bring a flashlight. Please car pool if possible. If the weather is questionable call the hot line 415-455-5370 before heading up the mountain. The message will be changed only if the program is cancelled.

Oct 8 SJAA -- ATM workshop at Houge Park. 7:30 pm

10 October - 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES “SETI: Pulling Signals Out of Cosmic Noise”
SETI could succeed tomorrow, or it may be an endeavor for multiple generations.
Recent workshops have laid out a roadmap for the next few decades.
Three different approaches were identified: continue and expand the radio search;
begin searches for very fast optical and infrared pulses from a million stars;
eventually build an omni-directional sky survey array capable of detecting strong, transient,
radio signals from billions of stars. Dr. Jill Tarter, Director, Center for SETI Research

October 19th - SFAA - Geoff Marc* will talk to us about his Cal. Berkeley
team’s experiences in the discovery of 107 of the 160 known Extra-Solar
Planet, using the 120 inch Lick Observatory telescope and the 10 meter
Keck Telescope in Hawaii. His topic is entitled “The Hunt for Habitable
Worlds”.San Francisco Amateur Astronomers Speaker at the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, S.F. 7:30 pm

November 5, 2005, Saturday, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. UC Berkeley Seminar: Theories about the Universe & Its Governing Laws, including: The World as a Hologram
by Professor Raphael Bousso - University of California, Berkeley professor of physics, a leading expert on quantum gravity, cosmology, and string theory. He discovered a general formulation of the holographic principle, telling us, among other things, just how much information there is in the universe. He also proposed, with J. Polchinski, an explanation of the mysterious accelerated expansion of the universe that has recently been observed - that string theory predicts a multiverse containing regions with the right amount of the required dark energy. Also: Finding a Home in the Multiverse by Professor Anthony Aguirre - University of California, Santa Cruz, professor of physics. Theoretical cosmology, ranging from intergalactic dust to galaxy formation to gravity physics to the large-scale structure of inflationary universes and the arrow of time. And: Extra Dimensions
by Professor John Terning - University of California, Davis - Professor of Physics. Location: Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. http://www.multiversaljourneys.com/html/events.htm

November 4 Friday 7pm An Illustrated Non-technical Talk by Astronomer and Popular Lecturer Andrew Fraknoi: Einstein for Everyone: His Strange Ideas Explained in Everyday Language -- Hosted by The Physics Chanteuse, Lynda Williams - SRJC physics instructor. In the Newman Auditorium, Santa Rosa Junior College 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi will discuss Einstein's theories of relativity and how they changed the way we look at the universe. Using humor, analogies, and no mathematics, he will show what Einstein's ideas mean to the average person, and how new astronomical observations are confirming some of Einstein's craziest suggestions. These observations include black holes, amazing warps in the fabric of space and time itself, which are now turning out to be more common than anyone dared to think. For info: 707-527-4372.

November 19, 2005,Saturday, at the El Campanil Theatre in Antioch: 7pm a three-part astronomy evening: a 78-min film—A Sidewalk Astronomer featuring John Dobson, produced and directed by Jeffrey Fox Jacob (first Eastbay showing); following the film , John Dobson will appear personallyto answer questions from, and interact with, the audience; and at about 9:30 PM, telescopic viewing of the heavens, weather permitting, with telescopes provided by Mount Diablo Astronomical Society.
You may purchase tickets next to the theatre, at 604 W. Second Street, starting at 6 PM. Tickets are $5.00 per person, and $4.00 for seniors over 60.

28 November - 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES “The SuperMACHO Project” The nature of dark matter is still unknown. Our best hope for understanding it is to find it in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. In this talk I will describe results from the most ambitious dark matter search to date, the so-called SuperMACHO Project. Dr. Doug Welch, McMaster University. In Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets are $4 at the door or by mail. http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.cfm

5 December - 7:30 pm DEAN LECTURE SERIES "Supernovae with a Robotic Telescope” Finding supernovae systematically is crucial for the study of these violent stellar explosions billions of times brighter than the Sun. The Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope at Lick Observatory is a robotic 30-in telescope and the world's most successful nearby supernova search engine, and discovers close to 100 supernovae each year.
Dr. Weidong Li, University of California at Berkeley. In Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. Tickets are $4 at the door or by mail. http://www.calacademy.org/planetarium/dean.cfm

December 21st - SFAA - Member’s Night. This is a special night to begin
thinking about _now._ Plan to submit your work of Astronomy related Art,
or Astronomical Photography, using any kind of camera. San Francisco Amateur Astronomers Speaker at the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, S.F. 7:30 pm. To give a talk, contact Linda Mahan at <doublestar{at}comcast.net>